(1) Ecology will respond to a request within five business days of receipt, by either:

(a) Providing the record(s);

(b) Providing an internet address and link to the record(s) on an ecology website;

(c) Acknowledging that ecology has received the request, asking for clarification to the extent the request is unclear, and providing a reasonable estimate of the time ecology will require to respond to the request if not clarified; or

(d) Denying the public record request.

(2) Additional time required to respond to a request may be based upon the need to clarify the intent of the request, to locate and assemble the information requested, to notify third persons or agencies affected by the request, or to determine whether any of the information requested is exempt and that a denial should be made as to all or part of the request. In acknowledging receipt of a public record request that is unclear, ecology may ask the requestor to clarify what information the requestor is seeking. If the requestor fails to clarify the request within ten business days, ecology need not respond to it and will close the request.

(3) Ecology will process requests in the order in which they are received. Ecology may modify this approach as necessary to ensure that requests which seek larger volumes of records, require closer review, or are otherwise more time consuming, do not unreasonably delay simpler, more routine requests.

(4) When it appears that the number of records responsive to a request may be large, that the process of locating, assembling, or reviewing the records may be lengthy, or that it is otherwise appropriate, ecology may choose to provide records on a partial or installment basis. Ecology need not locate and assemble records responsive to a subsequent installment until the previous installment is claimed or inspected. If an installment is not claimed or inspected within ten business days of notice of availability, the agency need not respond further and will close the request.

(5) When electronic records are requested, ecology will provide the nonexempt records or portions of such records that are reasonably locatable in an electronic format that is used by the agency and is generally commercially available, or, at ecology's discretion, in a format that is reasonably translatable from the format in which the agency keeps the records. Ecology is under no obligation to convert electronic records to a specific format identified by the requestor. When metadata is requested, ecology will provide the records in a native file format that preserves metadata where technically feasible. Metadata may be unavailable for records that require conversion to a nonnative format in order to apply exemptions.